Docking apparatus



Jan. 11 1927.v

' E. JOHNSON DOCKING APPARATUS Filed July l.

INVENTOR m BY @Jia/17u02. ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 11, 1927.

UNITED STATES EADS JOHNSON, F MRRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY.

DOCKING APPARATUS.

v Application filed July 1,V

My invention relates to an improved apparatus, referred to hereinafter as docking apparatus, and adapted to be used in connection with marine railways, graving docks, and floating docks of both the box and sectional type.

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of an apparatus whereby aship or other floating property may be hauled out or may be drydocked with a less expenditure of time and labor than is possible with the equipment now employed for such purposes.

A further object of my invention is the provision of an apparatus of the character above referred to, wherebyin drydocking a ship, for example, it will be unnecessary to build up the bilge blocks, as the bilge logs forming part of my invention will care for different heights required for the hull 0f the ship and thereby save both the time and labor formerly required to build up the bilge blocks.

A. still further object of my invention is the provision of an apparatus of the character above indicated, wherein it is unnecessary to obtain a plan of the hull of the ship to be docked prior to the docking operation.

A further object is to save the raising of the dock when once lowered to fix bilge blocks for another vessel, as the bilge logs will accommodate any vessel and the dock may remain sunk until raised again after the other vessel has been placed.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I will give a brief outline of the plan now followed in drydocking: Under present practice it is customary to obtain, first of all, a docking plan of the ship which is to be drydocked, in order that the b ilge lblocks may be built up to the desired height and properly located so as to support the ship directly under the bilge. After this work has been done, the dock is sunk and the ship floated in. Before the dock `is pumped out, however, care must be exercised in properly positioning the ship so that when the water is finally pumped out the ship will restin an upright position upon the keel 5 blocks and vbe supported properly at each side of the keel blocks by the previously built-up blge block structures. This con- 1925. Serial No. 40,716.

su-mes a great deal of time and requires the services ofl a skilled operator. After the dock has been sunk again and the ship floated out, becomes necessary to float the dock again, and after obtaining a docking plan of the next ship to be drydocked to reconstruct the bilge block structure and to sink the dock again before the next ship may be drydoc-ked. In other words, every time a ship is to be drydocked this entire operation inrlst be gone through with.

in my improved apparatus I have provided a construction whereby a great deal of the 'time consumed in the above described operation can be saved. For example, it is unnecessary with my apparatus to empty the drydoclr between ships. In other words, the dock is ready preceding ship has been floated out.

4In the carrying out of my invention I provide a bilge log one end of which is adapted be pivoted at different heights to or adjacent the keel blocks, this log being brought into contact with the ships hull and supported in such position by improved bilge blocks which are adapted to be moved lengthwise of the bilge log so as to raise and lower the saine to suit hulls vof different shapes. This arrangement provides a structure whereby it is unnecessary to know beforehand the plan or shape of the hull to be docked, and after my apparatus is'once i11- stailed it becomes unnecessary to float the drydock between ships, inasmuch as when one ship is iioated out of the dock the dock is all ready to receive the next ship.

i'n the accompanying drawing an embodiinent of iny invention has been illustrated more or less diagrainmatically but with sufiicient clarity to illustrate the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, l designates diagrainmatically a drydock of the floating type, and 2 and 3 the hull of the ship to be docked therein, that portion designated 3 illustrating a portion of the hull either forward or aft of amidships, while 2 designates a portion of the hull amidships. el designates bearer logs, upon which the bilge blocks rest and are guided as these blocks are drawn in or out from the center.

Disposed along the longitudinal center line of the dock are keel blocks 5, compristo receive a ship as soon as thel .dock or keel blocks.

round supporting ing, as indicated, a built up structure composed of several blocks. There are several of these keel blocks in each installation, as will be understood, the keel of the ship, as the name of these structures implies, resting upon and being supported by these blocks when the drydock has been pumped out or floated.

Each keel block structure carries two bilge logs, designated 7, these logs, as will be apparent from an inspection of the drawings, extendingtransversely of the dock directly over the bearer logs. These logs are pivoted equidistant each side of the center of the The bilge logs may be of wood or of metal, as desired, and are pivotally attached to the bilge blocks by straps 8 or 10 and pivot 9. By providing more than the one strap the logs may be pivoted at different heights to accommodate different forms of the underbodies of ships.

Supporting` the bilge logs, that is to say, the outer or free ends thereof, are bilge blocks which may be in the form of superimposed blocks 11 spiked or otherwise held to each other. Each of these bilge block structures rests upon one of the bearer logs Ll, it being understood that there is a bilge block structure for each bilge log. The lower block of each bilge block is provided with straps 18 engaging beneath a strip la formed on or secured to each side of the bearer log, whereby tipping or iioating of the bilge block structure relative to the bearer log is prevented.

Carried by each bilge block structure is a half round member 15 having a bearing in a half roundmetal lined bearing 16 provided in the bilge block. The flat lower side of the bilge log rests upon the flat face of the half member 15, and inasmuch as the member 15 is rotatable in its bearing and not attached thereto, it will be apparent that this member will always accommodate itself to the bilge log as the bilge blocks are moved along the bearer log. A pair of straps 17 or other means are attached to each bilge block structure and extend upwardly beyond the member 15 and for a short distance overlap the sides of the bilge log, to keep the half round supporting member 15 in position and to assist in proper positioning of the log on the blocks.

As above pointed out, the bilge logs 7 may be of wood or metal, and if constructed of wood, l may weight the outer ends thereof as indicated at 18, to prevent floating out of the straps.

Instead of weight-ing the bilge logs and in order that the bilge logs 7 may be held against floating upwardly when the drydock is sunk, I provide the cable 18, which is fastened to the bilge block and passes around pulleys 19 and 20 at the ends of the bilge log. This permits of the bilge blocks being moved along the bearer log while holding the bilge log upon the bilge blocks. The bilge blocks are shifted by any suitable tackle.

From the foregoing it will be seen 'that in dry docking a ship in a dock equipped with my apparatus, it is merely necessary to loat the ship in after Vthe dock has been sunk, without regard to a docking plan of the ships bottom, and to then oat the dock, the bilge logs and bilge blocks being adjusted as the ship finally settles upon the keel blocks. By employing the bilge logs it is apparent that no matter what the shape of the ships bottom may be, the same will always catch beneath the bilge thereof. It will be seen also that the trouble now experienced in drydocking, in having the bilge blocks too low so that they do not catch the bilge at all but pass in beyond the same toward the ships keel, is avoided.

ln order that the next ship may be drydocked, it will be obvious that it is merely necessary to sink the dock, float out the ship previously drydocked, and then lioat in the next ship. This is possible without knowing beforehand the shape of the hull of the second ship and without floating the dock the second time in order to build up a new bilge block structure, a procedure which is not possible with apparatus at present in use.

l have described my invention specifically in connection with a drydock, but it is to be understood, as stated above, that my apparatus is adapted for use in connection with marine railways and graving docks as well, all of which apparatus covered by the expression docking or drydocking, as the case may be, employed throughout this descriptio l/Vhile I have described a specific embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the same may take other forms within the purview of the invention.

W hat l claim is:

1. 1n an apparatus of the class described the combination of a bilge log pivoted at one end, a bilge block structure for supporting the free end of said log, and means for adjusting said bilge block structure longitudinally of the log to raise and lower the free end of the log.

2. In an apparatus of the class described the combination of a keel block, straps attached thereto, a bilge log, means for pivoting said log to said straps and constructed to permit of a bearer log, and a bilge block movable along said bearer log and adapted to support said bilge log and to move the same about its pivot.

3. ln an apparatus of the class described the combination of a pivoted bilge log, a bilge block for supporting said log, a bearer log, means for preventing side motion of are intended to be any pivotal point being used, 5

the bilge block relatively to the bearer log, log, means for adjusting said block longituand means for preventing lateral displacedinally of said logs, and means for preventment of said bilge log relatively to the bilge ing side motion of said block relatively to block. said logs. 5 4. In an apparatus of the class described, This specification signed this 30th day of the combination of a pivoted bilge log, a June, 1925. bilge block for supporting said log, a bearer EADS JOHNSON. 

